Late Summer Foraging: Hickory, Pawpaw and Mushrooms

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The Best Deer Lure Money can Buy

Several years ago we used to spend every fall in a hunting camp high in the Colorado Rockies.

Now I am kind of famous for the chili I make, and I am pretty sure that is the only reason I was invited to hunt with the other guys.

The first year I went to the camp I made my famous chili on the night before the last day of hunting...kind of a celebration. But there really wasn’t anything to celebrate since deer hunting had been very poor that year and we had been skunked so far.

That night I made a big pot of chili and everyone enjoyed it. Now ole Sam ate more than everyone else and enjoyed it a little too much. He ended up spending the next day in the old outhouse John set off in the edge of the trees behind the cabin. Some folks seem to handle my chili better than others...Sam was an other.

However Sam spent the day right near that old john, and wouldn’t you know it, but that afternoon a huge buck walked right out of the trees and headed for the john, right at him. Sam was the only one who got a buck that year but it was a real nice one.

The next year everyone convinced me they wanted more chili and I laid in supplies to make a big batch the first night and then eat leftovers all week.

We noticed when we got to the camp that there had been some digging around the old john along with some gnawing on the wood. There were also a few large scrapes in the trees surrounding it.

I made my chili that first night and we all partook liberally of it. I must have used industrial strength spices that year since we all spent much of the next day in and around that old john in the trees.

The thing with my chili is that it is so good everyone is willing to pay the price the next day after eating it...although most of us took it a little easier on the chili that second night.

The third day dawned with a large buck standing out back of the cabin pawing the ground around the john. Trent was the first one up and since we tend to sleep in at deer camp it was after first light, so he bagged a buck off the back porch.

I think it was that morning that someone finally put two and two together and said something about how the bucks seem to be attracted to that old john.

After that it was  a mad scramble to see who got to spend the day by the john. As it turned out we shouldn’t have worried since by the fourth day we had all filled our tags.

We celebrated with another pot of chili.

That next summer I got together with the guys, and we talked about how the deer seemed attracted to that john behind the cabin, and that it seemed to be the chili that was doing the trick. Someone, I don’t remember who suggested we rig up a coil and some piping on the top of that old john and see if we could collect some of this smell to see if it would work elsewhere.

So the next weekend we got some plumbing supplies, loaded them in the truck and headed to hunting camp to rig up a still-like contraption on the top of the john.

When hunting season rolled around we were excited to get up to the camp and see how our contraption had worked. We had hooked everything up to a five gallon bucket with a lid and it was about half full of smelly liquid when we checked it.

I made chili every night again and we drew straws to see who got to hunt by the john. Sam won and the rest of us divided up the smelly liquid from the bucket and took it with us to where we usually hunted.

I shot a very nice buck that day who was trotting right up wind toward me with his nose held high. I got him cleaned and dragged him back to camp. I got there about the same time as everyone else. We had all gotten our bucks that first morning.

As we sat around over chili that night we talked about how this might be something special, and we bottled up the lure we had created and took it home with us.

Later that fall one of our group went on a hunting trip to Canada and took along his bottle of deer lure. He filled all his tags in record time, and ended up selling what was left of his bottle of lure to his guide.

After he got back and told us about selling his lure while he was showing off his trophies, we decided to ramp up production of our lure, just to see if we could make some cash from it.

The rest is history. We continue to go to our hunting camp every fall, and we continue to eat my famous chili while we are there. We have all been able to retire from the commercial success of our lure.

It has become almost as famous as my chili...you have probably heard of it, it is called…

John Deer Attractor

Adapted from the Liars contest, Colorado Trappers Assoc. Rendezvous circa 1982

Survival Card Review Ready Man

Grow your own tobacco - separating the seedlings

DR Trimmer Mower cutting Canadian Thistle

Husqvarna Trimmer:
https://amzn.to/2IkbiN3

Remington Trimmer:
https://amzn.to/2WIuWGc

Ariens Trimmer:
https://amzn.to/2N40vuX

Cub Cadet trimmer:
https://amzn.to/2Xdw7BT

My Favorite Study Bible: https://amzn.to/2Fcsd29

My EDC:
Leatherman: https://amzn.to/2KT4yHB

McGuyver Knife: https://amzn.to/2IgX4wq

Readyman Card: https://amzn.to/2F6fLRt

Elderberry update - Elderflowers

Dried Elderberries:
https://amzn.to/2II2yz5

Elderberry Syrup:
https://amzn.to/31BAHsY

Elderberry Gummies:
https://amzn.to/2KjTcNd

Dried Elderflowers:
https://amzn.to/2IXlme7

My Favorite Study Bible: https://amzn.to/2Fcsd29

My EDC:
Leatherman: https://amzn.to/2KT4yHB

McGuyver Knife: https://amzn.to/2IgX4wq

Readyman Card: https://amzn.to/2F6fLRt

Harvest and cooking wild garlic scapes

How to Make a Cheap Shotgun Reloader

This cheap home made shotshell reloader will allow you to reload your ammo with only a little time and crafting skill. Keep yourself in ammo on the homestead if supplies otherwise run short. This one is in .410 but you can make any size.

I first learned how to do this from Backwoodsman Magazine. If you don't read Backwoodsman you are missing out on a plethora of great projects, skills and information.

I originally posted instruction for this on my blog and several people have asked for a video of how to use it.

Here is a link to the original blog post    https://thepreparedchristian.blogspot.com/2008/11/25-shotshell-reloader.html

Here are some Lee Classic Loaders on Amazon   https://amzn.to/2WvlxWy

You will have to search somewhere like Ebay to find the old classic shotshell loaders.

The Right Way to Invest in Silver Coins

Disclaimer: This information is intended for Preppers and should not be considered financial investing advice. I am not an investment professional, nor do I play one on youtube.

A lot of preppers wonder how they can invest in silver coins. I am going to tell you the right way to buy your silver coins.

At the end I give you five (5) ways to get silver coins for your preps.

A couple links to coins on Amazon to help  out the channel:

(beware silver plated copper! Read the description and know what you are buying!)

For coin roll hunting wheaties with the kids https://amzn.to/2Wb8nP4

Half dollars (ea)   https://amzn.to/2KaaLP5

$100 face value bag   https://amzn.to/2EDAqff

$50 face value bag    https://amzn.to/2VWefGW

Chicken Coop Kits

Here is a simple chicken coop kit review.

The two coops I have are similar to the chicken coop kits you might find at Tractor Supply, Lowes, Home depot or on Amazon (see below for a link to help us out on the channel)

These store bought chicken coops can be the answer for raising your backyard chicken flock for meat or eggs.

Or you could use them to house separate chicken breeding stock.

Just make sure you don't expect too much and be prepared to work with their shortcomings.

Amazon chicken coops similar to the one I have.

Smaller   https://amzn.to/2K9yTB9

(Amazon does not have a large one like mine)

Larger  https://amzn.to/2QoHtgw

Mowing Tall Grass with DR Trimmer'

This is just a short review of the DR Trimmer Mower. It is not a comprehensive review, but rather me trying to cut some tall flooded grass. I have a flooded area of the yard due to all the rain we have been getting this spring.

I am using the premium strings on it and it does short work of the tall grass. 

The DR Trimmer Mower worked well in the grass. Last fall I used it on some dried weeds and it kept breaking trimming line. Once I got the strings on right it didn't break one in the time I shot this video.

If it wouldn't have been in standing water this grass could be raked up for hay. (Even tho it is a bit seedy)

Please forgive the shaky camera work...it was difficult trying to run the trimmer and camera at the same time. ;-)

Husqvarna Trimmer:
https://amzn.to/2IkbiN3

Remington Trimmer:
https://amzn.to/2WIuWGc

Ariens Trimmer:
https://amzn.to/2N40vuX

Cub Cadet trimmer:
https://amzn.to/2Xdw7BT

My Favorite Study Bible: https://amzn.to/2Fcsd29

My EDC:
Leatherman: https://amzn.to/2KT4yHB

McGuyver Knife: https://amzn.to/2IgX4wq

Readyman Card: https://amzn.to/2F6fLRt

Growing Tobacco from Seed

Growing tobacco from seed part two.

The seeds have sprouted. The first sprouts showed up at 10 days. This is normal and can take even longer.

If I had kept them under lights they would have been warmer and possibly sprouted sooner since it has been a struggle to keep them warm with our wacky spring weather.

I should be able to transplant them in a week or so, and then on into the garden when they get some size on them.

As I said in the first video I am behind by a few weeks, but we will still get lots of good sized leaves by fall, just not viable seed.

How to use a live trap

Using a live trap is a great way to get rid of pests on the homestead or in the garden. I will show you how to use a live trap to catch raccoons and groundhogs.

A live trap, cage trap, or even box trap (they are all basically the same principle) will also provide your family with copious amounts of meat in a survival situation. You can easily feed yourself with a live trap set properly...

Havahart is a popular brand...I would recommend against the folding traps or the cheap ones since a large raccoon can bend the wire and escape, all while destroying your investment.

Homesteading has enough challenges without having to constantly deal with raccoons and groundhogs destroying your work.

Growing Elderberries

Dried Elderberries:
https://amzn.to/2II2yz5

Elderberry Syrup:
https://amzn.to/31BAHsY

Elderberry Gummies:
https://amzn.to/2KjTcNd

Dried Elderflowers:
https://amzn.to/2IXlme7

My Favorite Study Bible: https://amzn.to/2Fcsd29

My EDC:
Leatherman: https://amzn.to/2KT4yHB

McGuyver Knife: https://amzn.to/2IgX4wq

Readyman Card: https://amzn.to/2F6fLRt

How to select corn seed for planting

How to grow tobacco from seed

Off Grid with Doug and Stacy Q&A at Lehman's

A Road Trip to Lehman's